continued to use excessive force against cases was attributed to low reporting during peaceful protesters and hundreds of people the Covid-19 lockdown period, the numbers died as a result of police action. Violent during 2021 were still higher than those unrest across two provinces, which was recorded in the pre-pandemic era. triggered by former president Jacob Zuma’s Parliament adopted three new bills in arrest, resulted in at least 360 deaths as September to strengthen protection against well as job losses, further entrenching gender-based violence. inequalities. The authorities failed to ensure There were at least 117 cases of femicide in that the mining industry complied with the first half of the year. In August, the killing standards to prevent human rights of Nosicelo Mtebeni by her boyfriend led to a violations against communities. Evidence public outcry. Nosicelo Mtebeni was a 23- emerged of South Africa’s complicity in war year-old law student in her final year at Fort crimes committed in Yemen. Hare University in the Eastern Cape province Environmentalists feared that a proposed oil when she was murdered. Her body was exploration project would threaten marine dismembered and placed in a suitcase and wildlife. in plastic bags. Her boyfriend was sentenced BACKGROUND to 25 years in prison for her murder. In July President Ramaphosa authorized the SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS deployment of 1,495 troops to Mozambique, Many women and girls were unable to access to deal with insecurity in Cabo Delgado in the sexual and reproductive health services north-east (see Mozambique entry). during Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. In the The Commission of Enquiry into State Gauteng province, 23,226 teenage Capture continued to hear testimonies in pregnancies were recorded between April relation to allegations of corruption and other 2020 and March 2021. Of this number, 934 abuses known as “state capture” under the concerned girls between the ages of 10 and presidency of Jacob Zuma who was 14. The high rate of teenage pregnancy was imprisoned for contempt of court for refusing partly attributed to difficulties with accessing to appear before the commission. He was contraceptives. A survey of young women released on medical parole after serving two aged between 15 and 24, conducted by the months of his 15-month prison sentence. South African Medical Research Council, The first part of the commission’s report was revealed that 21% of the respondents to be released in January 2022 and to focus reported challenges in getting condoms on corruption in key state-owned entities, because of Covid-19 measures. including South African Airways. Parts two RIGHT TO EDUCATION and three were expected to be released in February 2022. The education system was ridden with systematic failures during the Covid-19 GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE 1 pandemic. The National Income Dynamics Official crime statistics published in August Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey, a showed an increase in some forms of gender- collaboration of over 30 South African based violence. Despite the adoption by the researchers from several universities and government of the National Strategic Plan on research organizations, found that up to Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in 500,000 additional children dropped out of 2019 to strengthen its response to the high school during the pandemic. The drop-out incidence of gender-based violence, the rate reached approximately 750,000 by May, statistics revealed a 72.4% increase in rape over three times the pre-pandemic number of cases, a 77.6% increase in other forms of 230,000. According to the Department of sexual assault, and a 74.1% increase in all Basic Education, one in three pregnant girls sexual offences. While the dramatic rise in Amnesty International Report 2021/22 333